Time to Recharge?

Are you taking some holiday time in the coming weeks? If so, I hope it will be refreshing.

Whether holidaying or not, I hope everyone reading this can find moments to step out of work, study or other responsibilities in order to recharge. Not just occasionally but regularly.

In writing that, I know that can be easier said than done at times – for instance I think of those with young children.

Also what of situations like Ukraine or Sudan?

I totally realise that in such circumstances, the words that follow may seemingly not have any relevance at face value right now. For those reading this who believe in praying, let’s keep crying out to God for people in conflict situations.

Some words of Christ,

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.

Just before these words, we can read that it was so busy for Jesus and his disciples that “they did not even have a chance to eat…” ^{Mark 6:31}

Ever had a day or even longer that has felt like that?

If you read on in the story, Jesus and the disciples do get a bit of space whilst in a boat. Yet when they arrive at the shore again, there is a crowd waiting for them. We can read,

“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them…”

^{Mark 6:34}

The account tells us Jesus taught them and then of a miraculous feeding of the crowd from some bread and a few fish. At the end of the afternoon, Jesus makes his disciples get back into the boat and sail off whilst he dismissed the crowd. Jesus then goes off to pray! He joins them later in the night (read on in Mark 6 if you want to know more!)

That was quite some day for Jesus and for the disciples! Especially as they thought they were going to rest.

Some days are like that – where with God’s help,there is the need to go the extra mile in order to help others. Yet a reading of the Gospels does not show that everyday was like that for them! Jesus himself took regular time out, even if in the early hours or later in the evening. Don’t miss this:

Jesus – God in the flesh, needed time out!

Nor can any of us can be on with things all the time.

In the Jewish Scriptures, there was the call of Sabbath – a day off after six days week (or before six days work, if you prefer to look at it that way round). See Exodus 20:8-11 for example.

It was not a day to be miserable and have to avoid anything enjoyable. Rather it was to be a celebratory renewing time each week away from normal work. Of course, there would still be the need to help someone if they were in trouble (see Luke 14:5). Taking the rest day was not an ignoring of any emergency realities.

Yet do we ever fall into a trap of seeing something as urgent and so not taking time out? And yet… is it truly urgent? The answer maybe yes, but do we then seek to build in some time out to compensate?

“Time off won’t heal you when the problem is how you spend your time on.”

So writes leadership coach Carey Nieuwhof.

Yes it is good to have time off in a holiday. Yet how do we spend the time when we are ‘on’ with our normal weeks?

Whether it is taking holidays or building in weekly rest –

are we intentional with the time we have been given? how does rest and time out feature in our lives?
what are the ‘big rocks’ in your life? That is the things that are most important to you and do you (and others) good.
does your agenda reflect what you say are ‘big rocks’?
if you live with others, what might recharge time look like – both individually and together? (maybe some working it out together will be needed as not everyone recharges the same way).
how can we celebrate and give thanks to God amidst our time out?

(If you are not sure what the phrase ‘big rocks’ is about, check out this video: https://resources.franklincovey.com/the-8th-habit/big-rocks-stephen-r-covey)

I know all of our lives are all different. So I am not going to try and give answers to any of those questions. Instead I encourage us to think and pray about the questions as well as the verses below:

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Psalm 90:12

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. ”Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”